avalanche

/ˈævəlɑːnʃ/

//ˈævəlɑːnʃ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"avalanche" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“avalanche” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,339. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,339
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.

Corpus desk

Index EN-avalanche · avalanche · English

avalanche · rank #15,339 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,339
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH auditor

Nearest frequency peer: auditor (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “avalanche”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “avalanche” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for avalanche
PropertyValue
Headwordavalanche
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈævəlɑːnʃ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,339
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “avalanche”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).avalanchelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “auditor” (#15,338), “Azerbaijan” (#15,340), “badger” (#15,342). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “avalanche” is #15,339. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around avalanche (IPA /ˈævəlɑːnʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,339 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for avalanche, with forms such as "aavlanche", "avaalnche", and "avalacnhe". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French avalanche, from Franco-Provençal (Savoy) avalançhe, blend of aval (“downhill”) and standard lavençhe, from Vulgar Latin *labanka (compare Occitan lavanca, Italian valanga), of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Late Latin lābīna (“landsl… The correct English form is avalanche, spelled A-V-A-L-A-N-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
  2. 2
    A fall of earth, rocks, etc., similar to that of an avalanche of snow or ice.
  3. 3
    A sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx; anything like an avalanche in suddenness and overwhelming quantity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how avalanche appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. They were drinking from a fountain / That was pouring like an avalanche / Coming down the mountain
  2. Yes, but she talked it away. She uses a whole language to herself. Her discourse is an avalanche of words, beneath which the hearers are overwhelmed.

Etymology

From French avalanche, from Franco-Provençal (Savoy) avalançhe, blend of aval (“downhill”) and standard lavençhe, from Vulgar Latin *labanka (compare Occitan lavanca, Italian valanga), of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Late Latin lābīna (“landslide”) (compare Franco-Provençal (Dauphiné) lavino, Romansh lavina), from Latin lābēs, from lābor (“to slip, slide”).

This word in other languages

alud(Español)avalanche(Français)Lawine(Deutsch)avalanche(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aavlanche
  • avaalnche
  • avalacnhe
  • avalancche
  • avalanceh
  • avalanchhe
  • avalanhce
  • avalannche
  • avallanche
  • avalnache
  • avlaanche
  • avvalanche
  • vaalanche

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of avalanche - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aavlanche2avaalnche2avalacnhe2avalancche1avalanceh2avalanchhe1avalanhce2avalannche1
Edit distance from "avalanche"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "avalanche"?
"avalanche" is spelled A-V-A-L-A-N-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈævəlɑːnʃ/.
What does "avalanche" mean?
As a noun, "avalanche" means: A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice.
What are common misspellings of "avalanche"?
Common misspellings include "aavlanche", "avaalnche", "avalacnhe", "avalancche", "avalanceh". The correct spelling is "avalanche".
How do you pronounce "avalanche"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "avalanche" is /ˈævəlɑːnʃ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "avalanche"?
From French avalanche, from Franco-Provençal (Savoy) avalançhe, blend of aval (“downhill”) and standard lavençhe, from Vulgar Latin *labanka (compare Occitan lavanca, Italian valanga), of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Late Latin lābīn... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "avalanche", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ballistic#15,343anthology#15,331Blackburn#15,348blueprint#15,351

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Clarkson13 variantsstocking13 variantsexpressly13 variantsshowdown13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list